Hooking with -Z words
Endings like -Z let you tack a word onto a tile already on the board, often turning a small play into a big one. Look for the high-value entries above to maximise points.
What the numbers say
Inside this list: 81 words spanning 3–11 letters. The biggest cluster sits at 4 letters (20 words), 18 entries are Wordle-sized at five letters, and 10 run to seven — bingo length if you can empty the rack. For points, the ceiling is RAZZAMATAZZ, worth 49.
Chasing points? The best five entries here are RAZZAMATAZZ (49), RAZZMATAZZ (48), BEZAZZ (35), PAZAZZ (35), PIZAZZ (35). At 11 letters, RAZZAMATAZZ is the longest word on the list; a typical entry scores around 21. Letter-wise, Z is the workhorse — it appears in 81 of these words, ahead of T (40) and I (29).
Three words worth learning first
- When the rack looks hopeless, ERSATZ (6 letters, 15 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
- Playing NERTZ across a double-word square turns its base 14 points into 28 — solid value for 5 tiles.
- TROOZ is easy to keep in memory: 5 letters, 14 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
Round out your set with BLINTZ (17), SPELTZ (17), SPRITZ (17), GLITZ (15), GROSZ (15) — all built from common tiles.
-Z as a board weapon
A reliable habit: every time you learn a new -Z word, note whether it also takes a front extension. Words that extend at both ends are the ones that turn a 12-point play into a 40-point one, because you can bridge two premium squares. The top of this list — sorted by score — is where those double-duty words hide.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.